301 INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI) MEDIATED GENE TRANSFER ASSISTED BY ACTIVATION WITH A DOUBLE EXPOSURE TO IONOMYCIN AND 6-DIMETHYLAMINOPURINE OR DEHYDROLEUCODINE

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 247
Author(s):  
R. J. Bevacqua ◽  
F. Pereyra-Bonnet ◽  
R. Olivera ◽  
D. F. Salamone

ICSI-mediated gene transfer is a powerful technique used to produce transgenic mice and pigs. However, this method of transgenesis has not been applied in bovine due to low embryo development, which is presumed to be a consequence of a failure in sperm factor delivery after ICSI in this species. To bypass this problem, we assisted ICSI with chemical activation, employing two Ionomycin (Io) exposures and 6-Dimethylaminopurine (DMAP) or a novel drug, Dehydroleucodine (DhL). Cumulus–oocyte complexes were aspirated from ovaries obtained from a local slaughterhouse and in vitro matured in bicarbonate-buffered TCM-199 containing 10% FBS, 10 μg mL–1 FSH, 0.3 mm sodium pyruvate, 100 μm cysteamine and 10 UI mL–1 penicillin. IVM conditions were 6% CO2 in humidified air at 39°C for 24 h. MII oocytes were selected and used immediately for ICSI. Sperm samples were frozen/thawed by standard procedures. Coincubation of spermatozoa with DNA construction (pCX-EGFP) was carried out in Na citrate 2.8%, with 0.5 μg plasmid million–1 spermatozoa for 5 min at 0°C. Then, spermatozoa were used for ICSI. Injected oocytes were activated in 5 μm Io for 4 min and placed in TCM-199 for 3 h to allow second polar body emission. Afterwards, some of the oocytes were subjected to a second exposure of Io. Oocytes exposed once or twice to Io were then incubated with 2 mm DMAP (groups Io-DMAP and 2Io-DMAP) or 5 mm DhL (groups Io-DhL and 2Io-DhL) for 3 h. Control groups (Io and 2Io) were not treated with DMAP or DhL. Embryos were cultured in the IVM droplets. EGFP expression was daily evaluated in fluorescence microscope under blue light (488 nm). Significant differences between groups were evaluated by Fisher test (Table 1). DhL chemical activation improved neither development nor transgenesis rates. The double Io exposure significantly improved embryo development. The second exposure to Io previous chemical activation with DMAP resulted in an increase in the percentage of EGFP-expressing embryos. Our results indicate that activation with double Io-DMAP could be considered an alternative assistance for ICSI mediated gene transfer in bovine. Table 1.Effect of activation assisting transgenic ICSI on development and expression of bovine embryos

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. M. Toishibekov ◽  
R. K. Tursunova ◽  
M. Sh. Yermekova

Advances in reproduction technologies, such as in vitro maturation, IVF, and in vitro culture, stimulated research for efficient cryopreservation techniques for mammalian oocytes. It is well known that the oocyte is the largest cell of an animal's body and as such, is full of water and, in many species, fat, making it difficult to cryopreserve. The objective of this work was to study the effect of vitrification for cryopreservation of the metaphase II plate (MPII) of sheep oocytes. Ovaries from 20 ewes of Kazakh Arkharo-Merino breed were acquired after slaughter and maintained at 37°C in TCM-199. The maturation medium was TCM-199, containing 1 mM of glutamine, 10% FBS, 5 μg mL–1 FSH, 5 μg mL–1 LH, 1 μg mL–1 oestradiol, 0.3 mM sodium pyruvate, and 100 mM cysteamine. The oocytes were incubated in 400 μL of medium in 4-well dishes covered with mineral oil. The IVM conditions were 5% CO2 in humidified air at 39°C for 24 h. Then they were placed for 10 min in a media with Hoechst 33342 (3 μg mL–1) and cytochalasin B (7 μg mL–1) to facilitate the enucleation of the MPII with a minimum volume of ooplasm. The MPII plates were divided into 2 groups: the vitrification group was exposed to vitrification media containing 1.12 M ethylene glycol (ET) + 0.87 M ME2SO for 5 min and was exposed in vitrification media containing 2.24 M ET + 1.75 M ME2SO for 5 min, and then in vitrification solution containing 4.48 M ET + 40% ME2SO + 0.25 M sucrose for 30 s. Oocytes were loaded into cryoloop and plunged into liquid nitrogen (LN2). Oocytes were thawed in a 25°C water bath and then placed in TCM-199 at 20% fetal bovine serum. After 15 min of incubation the oocytes were activated for extrusion of the second polar body in 1 mg mL–1 Ca ionophore for 5 min and washed for 5 min followed by 4 h in 6-DMAP (0.12 mM) + cycloheximide (0.6 μg mL–1). After activation the MPII were washed and cultured for 20 h. The control group received the same treatment, but they were not vitrified. Differences between the experimental groups were tested using Chi-squared test. Our research showed the expulsion of the second polar body after activation was observed in more than 62.2% of the MPII that were not vitrified (control group), whereas 40.5% of vitrified plates had expulsion of polar bodies (P < 0.05). These preliminary studies showed that it is possible to vitrify MPII plates. On the other hand, the drastic reduction of the volume of the sheep oocytes might make cryopreservation possible with greater efficiency.


2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 285
Author(s):  
J.I. Park ◽  
Y. Jang

This study was carried out to assess the nuclear status after parthenogenetic activation in in vitro matured oocytes under different conditions. Bovine ovaries were collected from slaughtered cows at a local abattoir. Oocytes were aspirated from follicles of 3–8 mm in diameter and transferred to maturation medium: tissue culture medium (TCM)-199 supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum, 100 mg/mL l-cysteine, 20 mg/mL sodium pyruvate, gonadotropins (each 250 IU of eCG and hCG/mL), and 10 mg/mL epidermal growth factor, with or without 5 mM hypotaurine and taurine. Oocytes were cultured at 38.9°C in 5% CO2 in humidified air. After 24 h of culture, oocytes with polar body were selected and submitted to activation treatments. Oocytes were exposed to calcium ionomycin (5 μM for 5 min) followed by incubation with 6-DMAP (2 mM), roscovitine (50 μM), or 6-DMAP + roscovitine for 3.5 h. After activation, oocytes were cultured in mSOF medium containing 0.8% BSA at 38.9°C in 5% CO2, 5% O2 in humidified air for 16 h and stained with Hoechst 33342 or aceto-orcein for assessment of nuclear status. Nuclear status was recorded as follows: 1PB (polar body) + 1PN (pronucleus), 2PB + 1PN and others. Data were analyzed using chi-square test. The maturation rate of bovine oocytes cultured in maturation medium containing hypotaurine/taurine (89.3%, n = 84) was higher (P < 0.05) than those cultured without hypotaurine/taurine (72%, n = 93). In the oocytes matured with hypotaurine/taurine, the rates of diploid activation (1PB + 1PN) were 84% (n = 50) in oocytes treated with 6-DMAP + roscovitine, 78.6% (n = 56) with 6-DMAP, and 52% (n = 50) with roscovitine. In the oocytes matured without hypotaurine/taurine, the rates of diploid activation were 80% (n = 60) in oocytes treated with 6-DMAP + roscovitine, 72% (n = 50) with 6-DMAP, and 54% (n = 50) with roscovitine. The rates of diploid activation were not different in oocytes matured with or without hypotaurine/taurine and among activation treatments. The oocytes treated with roscovitine showed a lower rate (P < 0.05) of diploid activation and higher rate (39.3–40%) of second polar body extrusion (1PN + 2PB) than the other activation groups in both maturation conditions. Cleavage rates to 2-cell stage were 40–45% in all groups. Development rate of blastocysts were 7–10% in all the groups treated with 6-DMAP and 6-DMAP + roscovitine and no blastocysts were obtained from the groups treated with roscovitine alone. Hypotaurine/taurine are known to be stable and potent antioxidants, and have shown the properties of supporting oocyte maturation and further embryonic development (Guerin and Menezo 1995 Zygote 3, 333–43; Mizushima and Fukui 2001 Theriogenology 55, 1432–45). In this study, although the effectiveness of hypotaurine/taurine on promoting oocyte maturation was observed, there were no significant improvements in the rate of diploid activation in oocytes matured with hypotaurine/taurine. These results suggest that the nuclear status of activated oocytes may not have a direct relationship with the enhanced maturation condition. This work was supported by BioGreen 21 Program(#1000520030100000-1), Republic of Korea.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
M. B. Rodríguez ◽  
A. Gambini ◽  
R. J. Bevacqua ◽  
D. F. Salamone

Interspecific intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a valuable tool to study early events of fertilization in species for which oocyte availability is reduced. Equine in vitro fertilization remains unsuccessful and ICSI is the technique of choice for the in vitro production of high-value embryos. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of pronuclear (PN) formation after ICSI with stallion sperm in bovine, swine and feline oocytes with or without chemical activation assistance. Ovaries from cows and pigs were collected at abattoirs whereas gonads from female domestic cats were obtained from ovariectomized animals at veterinary sterilization centers. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured in TCM-199 supplemented following standard protocols for each species. ICSI was performed in 100-μL drops of TALP-HEPES, using frozen-thawed semen from one stallion. Spermatozoa were held separate in 3-μL droplets of 7% (vol/vol) polyvinylpyrrolidone, where one of them was immobilized by swiping the injection pipette across its tail, and then injected into the matured oocyte. After ICSI, some oocytes were chemically activated with 5 μM ionomycin for 4 min (cow and cat) or with an electric pulse (sow) followed by 3 h in culture medium to allow extrusion of the second polar body and then exposure to 1.9 mM 6-DMAP solution for 3 h. Embryos were cultured in SOF medium. After 17 h of culture, embryos were stained with propidium iodide to identify the percentage of oocytes activated and with PN. Haploid and diploid parthenogenetic controls were included. Cleavage (48 h after activation) and blastocyst formation (7–8 days) of the partenogenetic control groups were assessed. There were no statistical differences (chi-squared analysis) in PN formation between the activated and nonactivated groups within species. When the activated group was compared between the different species, no differences were observed. However, for the nonactivated group, significant differences were observed between species. The feline oocyte showed the higher percentage of PN and activation, whereas the bovine oocyte exhibited the lower rate of PN formation (cat: 22/27, 81.48%; swine: 19/39, 71.64%; cow:18/63, 43.07%). Our results suggest that the feline oocyte can be used as model to study fertilization events associated with the stallion sperm due to the higher efficiency in supporting PN formation. Our results indicate that the equine sperm is capable of inducing PN formation in these 3 species without further chemical activation assistance.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 203
Author(s):  
Y. Y. Liang ◽  
D. N. Ye ◽  
C. Laowtammathron ◽  
T. Phermthai ◽  
R. Parnpai

Intracytoplasmic spern injection (ICSI) in the buffalo has not yet been well examined. Several factors involved affect the success rates of this technique, particularly the postinjection activation procedure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chemical activation treatments on in vitro development of oocytes after ICSI. A single spermatozoa was injected into the cytoplasm of an in vitro-matured oocyte using a micromanipulator under an inverted microscope. The ICSI oocytes were assigned to the following chemical activation treatments: (1) exposed to 5 μm ionomycin (Io) in Emcare medium for 5 min and placed in Emcare medium for 3 h, or (2) exposed to 7% ethanol (EtOH) in Emcare medium for 5 min and placed in Emcare medium for 3 h. The treated oocytes that extruded a second polar body were then selected and cultured either in (A) 1.9 mm 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) in mSOF medium for 3 h, or (B) 10 μg mL–1 of cychloheximide (CHX) for 5 h. The treated oocytes were further cultured in mSOF medium supplemented with 3 mg mL–1 of fatty acid-free BSA at 38.5°C under a humidified atmosphere of 5% O2, 5% CO2, and 90% N2 for 2 d. Thereafter, 8-cell-stage embryos were selected and co-cultured with buffalo cumulus cells in mSOF medium at 38.5°C under a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air for another 5 d. The medium was changed daily and the development of embryos was recorded at the same time the medium was changed. The sham-injected oocytes were treated and cultured along with ICSI oocytes. With 8 replications for each activation treatment, 336 oocytes were used for ICSI. With 6 replications for each activation treatment, 211 oocytes were used for sham injection. The cleavage of ICSI oocytes treated with Io + 6-DMAP, EtOH + 6-DMAP, and EtOH + CHX was 76.2, 69.4, and 78.3%, respectively, which was significant higher (P < 0.01) than ICSI oocytes treated with Io + CHX (52.4%) and also significant higher (P < 0.01) than sham-injected oocytes in all treatments. The highest blastocyst rate was observed in ICSI oocytes treated with Io + 6-DMAP (28.6%), which was not significantly different from ICSI oocytes treated with EtOH + CHX (24.4%). The blastocyst rates of ICSI oocytes treated with Io + 6-DMAP and EtOH + CHX were significantly higher than ICSI oocytes treated with Io + CHX (5.9%) and EtOH + 6-DMAP (16.5%) and also were significantly higher than sham-injected oocytes in all treatments. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that activated ICSI of swamp buffalo oocytes with Io + 6-DMAP or EtOH + CHX gave the highest cleavage and blastocyst rates. This work was supported by the Thailand Research Fund and Suranaree University of Technology.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
F. Pereyra-Bonnet ◽  
R. Fernández-Martín ◽  
R. Olivera ◽  
J. Jarazo ◽  
G. Vichera ◽  
...  

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-mediated gene transfer has been described as a technique to obtain transgenic offspring in mice. However, this approach has had limited success in domestic animals due to poor embryo development after ICSI. A first experiment was designed to improve embryo development comparing ICSI-mediated gene transfer with or without chemical activation (CA) in the ovine species. In the second experiment, ICSI-mediated gene transfer assisted by CA was used in porcine, feline, equine, and bovine species. Maturation and culture were done by standard procedures. Semen was collected by artificial vagina in ovine and bovine species. In pigs, ejaculates were obtained using the gloved-hand method, and in feline and equine species, sperm were obtained from epididymides. Samples were frozen by standard means. Thawed spermatozoa were washed twice in Na citrate at 2.8% with 100 µm EDTA at 495g for 5 min and resuspended in Na citrate with 0.5 µg of pCX-EGFP/million spermatozoa for 5 min at 0�C. The pCX-EGFP plasmid contained the egfp gene expressed under chimerical CMV-IE-chicken β-actin promoter control. Sperm cells were immediately injected into the metaphase II oocyte and CA was induced by incubation in TALP-HEPES with 5 µm ionomycin for 4 min, cultured in TCM199 for 3 h, and transferred to a droplet of 1.9 mm 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP) for 3 h. During the in vitro culture, exposure to blue light (488 nm) was performed to determine the percentage of green embryos, mosaic expression, and earliest stage of egfp expression. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was performed labeling pCX-EGFP plasmid by nick translation for use as a probe. Statistical analysis was done by chi square. In ovine species, development to blastocyst stage (0/88 v. 3/86; P > 0.05) and number of green embryos (24/88 v. 39/86; P < 0.05) were greater with CA. The egfp expression in ovine embryos assisted by CA began at the 2- (7/39), 4- (9/39), or 8-cell (23/39). However, the expression in ovine embryos without CA occurred only at the 8-cell stage (24/24) stage. In porcine, bovine, feline, and equine species, green embryos were detected at a high proportion (33/55, 10/44, 9/35, and 5/17, respectively), and the percentage of fluorescent blastocysts was 2.3, 2.9, and 9.1% for ovine, feline, and bovine species, respectively. The egfp expression in porcine and feline embryos started at the 2-cell stage (36 and 22%, respectively), whereas it began in bovine and equine embryos at the 4-cell stage (9 and 40% respectively). All species showed a high frequency of mosaic expression (range 60-85%), and the preliminary FISH analysis demonstrated a variable number of integration events in porcine embryos. To our knowledge, this is the first report of exogenous DNA expression in feline and equine embryos. These results suggest that the CA accelerates and increases the pCX-EGFP expression in ovine embryos in agreement with previous studies that have shown earlier expression of genes for parthenogenetic and cloning embryos, both assisted by CA. In conclusion, ICSI-mediated gene transfer assisted by CA can be used to obtain exogenous gene-expressing embryos in domestic species with potential scientific and commercial interests.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Suvá ◽  
N. G. Canel ◽  
D. F. Salamone

Haploid activation of bovine oocytes is important for reproductive technologies such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Nevertheless, it is still a highly inefficient procedure. The aim of this work was to combine different activation drugs, known to have different targets along the activation cascade, to find a more effective activation protocol. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) were aspirated from slaughtered ovaries and in vitro-matured (IVM) for 22 h. Oocytes were activated with 5 µM ionomycin (IO) for 4 min and then randomly allocated into 1 of the following treatments: 50 µM roscovitine (ROSC), 10 µg mL–1 cycloheximide (CHX), ROSC and 10 µM PD0325901 (ROSC/PD), or CHX and PD (CHX/PD) for 5 h; 15 µM dehydroleucodine (DHL) or DHL and ROSC (DHL/ROSC) for 3 h; DHL and CHX for 3 h followed by 2 h with CHX; 5-min exposure to 7% ethanol 4 h post-IO (ET); or ET followed by ROSC (ET-ROSC). Controls were IO followed by 3 h of exposure to 1.9 mM 6-DMAP with or without a previous 3-h culture in TCM-199 (3 h in DMAP and DMAP, respectively). Embryos were cultured in SOF medium. Pronuclear formation (PN) and second polar body extrusion (2PB) were assessed by 5 µg mL–1 propidium iodide oocyte staining, 17 h after IO. Activation was defined as the presence of at least 1 PN, and 2PB extrusion rate was calculated regardless of the nuclear stage. Data were analysed by Fisher’s Test (P < 0.05). Activation (Table 1) was similar in all groups, with the exception of ROSC/PD and ET-ROSC that were the highest and DHL that was the lowest. Although ROSC or CHX seemed to improve 2PB rate when combined with DHL, cleavage decreased significantly, suggesting DHL itself, or its combination with these drugs, negatively affects embryo development. Group ET showed activation rates comparable to other treatments, but it was not reflected on cleavage, suggesting that ET induces PN formation but it might be inefficient to trigger embryo development. Nevertheless, this observation was not made for ET-ROSC, as it showed a higher cleavage rate than ET and ROSC alone. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor PD showed different effects when combined with ROSC or CHX, despite that they both act on the mammary fat pad (MPF). In ROSC/PD, a slight improvement was observed on activation and cleavage rates compared with ROSC. Group CHX/PD resulted in a slightly higher 2PB percentage, but a lower activation percentage that derived in a significantly lower cleavage than CHX. In conclusion, ROSC and CHX were the most effective single treatments for haploid activation. Moreover, some combined treatments, namely DHL/ROSC and DHL/CHX, proved to be as effective or better at 2PB extrusion rate, which is the defining feature in haploid activation. Table 1.Activation, second polar body extrusion (2PB) and cleavage of bovine oocytes activated with ionomycin followed by single or combined activating agents1


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 160
Author(s):  
M.-K. Wang ◽  
E.W. Overstrom

Induced enucleation (IE) of oocytes with demecolcine produces competent ooplasts for SCNT as demonstrated previously in mouse, goat, cow and pig. Whether bovine IE cytoplasts are more or less competent than conventionally enucleated MII oocytes to support nuclear reprogramming of somatic chromatin and embryo development in vitro is not known. This study compared in vitro development of cloned bovine embryos produced by conventional and IE enucleation methods. Three experimental groups were: (1) Parthenogenetic controls. In vitro-matured, MII-arrested bovine oocytes were activated by a single (1×Act, 10μM ionomycin in Tyrodes-HEPES, 5min) or double activation (2×Act; 1×Act, wash 5min, 10μgmL−1 cycloheximide [CHX] 20min, repeat 1×Act) followed by incubation in CHX and 5μgmL−1 cytochalasin B (CB) for 6h, and then culture (BARC medium) for 7 days. (2) Conventional SCNT. MII oocytes were enucleated by micromanipulation in HEPES-buffered enucleation medium (BARC containing 7.5μgmL−1 CB, 5μgmL−1 Hoechst 33342, 10% FBS) under UV illumination (3–5s). Donor cells (fibroblasts, passage 7–9) were inserted into the perivitelline space, and the reconstructed couplets activated (1×Act). Reconstructed couplets were then electrofused, placed in BARC medium containing 10μgmL−1 CHX and 5μgmL−1 CB (6h), and then cultured for 7 days. (3) IE SCNT. MII oocytes were activated (1×Act), placed into BARC-5% FBS containing 0.4μgmL−1 demecolcine (DEME), 10μgmL−1 CHX, 2μgmL−1 cytochalasin D for 20min, then 20min without DEME, then returned to DEME. At 1–1.5h post-activation, the extruding second polar body (PB2) containing nuclear chromatin was removed by micromanipulation, couplets were reconstructed and fused as above, and additionally activated (two pulses, 20–30V/mm, 20μs). Embryos were cultured in 10μgmL−1 CHX and 5μgmL−1 CB medium for 4–5 hour, then BARC for 7 days. The results (Table 1) reveal that 2×Act increases embryo development at Day 2, but not Day 7. Further, there are no significant differences in embryo development rates between conventional and IE SCNT protocols. Respectively, 46%, 32% and 21% of cleaved control (1×Act), conventional and IE embryos developed to 16 cells on Day 7. In vitro development of cleavage embryos to the blastocyst stage was greater in controls (25–32%) than in conventional (22%) and IE (17%) SCNT groups on Day 7. Further comparisons of in vivo development between conventional and IE SCNT methods following embryo transfer are warranted. Supported by ACT, Cyagra and USDA NRI \#2001-35205-09966. Table 1 Embryo development: Conventional v. induced enucleation


Development ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 513-526
Author(s):  
M. H. Kaufman ◽  
M. A. H. Surani

Eggs from (C57B1 × A2G)F1 mice were activated by treatment with hyaluronidase, which removed the follicle cells, and cultured in vitro. Observations were made 6–8 h after hyaluronidase treatment to determine the frequency of activation and the types of parthenogenones induced. Cumulus-free eggs resulting from hyaluronidase treatment were incubated for 2¼ h in culture media of various osmolarities. The frequency of activation was found to be dependent on the postovulatory age of oocytes, while the types of parthenogenones induced were dependent on the osmolarity of the in vitro culture medium and their postovulatory age. Culture in low osmolar medium suppressed the extrusion of the second polar body (2PB). This decreased the incidence of haploid eggs with a single pronucleus and 2PB and immediately cleaved eggs from 97·5% to 42·3% of the activated population. Where 2PB extrusion had been suppressed, 97·4% of parthenogenones contained two haploid pronuclei. Very few were observed with a single and presumably diploid pronucleus. Serial observations from 11 to 18 h after hyaluronidase treatment were made on populations of activated eggs as they entered the first cleavage mitosis after 2¼ h incubation in medium either of normal (0·287 osmol) or low (0·168 osmol) osmolarity. A delay in the time of entry into the first cleavage mitosis similar to the duration of incubation in low osmolar medium was observed. Further, eggs were incubated in control and low osmolar culture media containing uniformly labelled [U-14C]amino acid mixture to examine the extent of protein synthesis in recently activated eggs subjected to these culture conditions. An hypothesis is presented to explain the effect of incubation in low osmolar culture medium in delaying the first cleavage mitosis.


Blood ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 3304-3315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marti F.A. Bierhuizen ◽  
Yvonne Westerman ◽  
Trudi P. Visser ◽  
Wati Dimjati ◽  
Albertus W. Wognum ◽  
...  

Abstract The further improvement of gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells and their direct progeny will be greatly facilitated by markers that allow rapid detection and efficient selection of successfully transduced cells. For this purpose, a retroviral vector was designed and tested encoding a recombinant version of the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein that is enhanced for high-level expression in mammalian cells (EGFP). Murine cell lines (NIH 3T3, Rat2) and bone marrow cells transduced with this retroviral vector demonstrated a stable green fluorescence signal readily detectable by flow cytometry. Functional analysis of the retrovirally transduced bone marrow cells showed EGFP expression in in vitro clonogenic progenitors (GM-CFU), day 13 colony-forming unit-spleen (CFU-S), and in peripheral blood cells and marrow repopulating cells of transplanted mice. In conjunction with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) techniques EGFP expression could be used as a marker to select for greater than 95% pure populations of transduced cells and to phenotypically define the transduced cells using antibodies directed against specific cell-surface antigens. Detrimental effects of EGFP expression were not observed: fluorescence intensity appeared to be stable and hematopoietic cell growth was not impaired. The data show the feasibility of using EGFP as a convenient and rapid reporter to monitor retroviral-mediated gene transfer and expression in hematopoietic cells, to select for the genetically modified cells, and to track these cells and their progeny both in vitro and in vivo.


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